British Values & Prevent Strategy
At Highworth Warneford School we are committed to the promotion of fundamental British values; values which underpin a modern, civilised society of which we can be proud.
The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and the Prime Minister reiterated these values in 2014, for current up-to-date guidance on the Prevent Strategy please click here.
The Government states that the core values are: democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
To aid you in understanding these core values, a leaflet is available by clicking the attachment below.
At the heart of these values lie good relationships, in which teachers and students work together towards common goals. At Highworth Warneford School these values are both integral and reinforced regularly in some of the following ways:
DEMOCRACY
Students have the opportunity to contribute more widely to school life through our Student Council. Every tutor group is given the opportunity to elect two members, whereby students meet with other students and senior leaders to discuss their ideas regarding school life.
The Year 11 Head Boy and Girl, and Senior Prefect team are democratically voted in by the Year 11 student body. They contribute to the life and running of the school by upholding our values and ethos, and representing our student body.
THE RULE OF LAW
At Highworth Warneford School we promote the importance of the rule of law. Whether in a classroom environment, the school as a whole, or the country, they are consistently reinforced throughout the school day, when dealing with behaviour and in school assemblies.
Students are taught the values and reasons behind laws; that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.
INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY
As a school we educate and provide boundaries for students to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe and supportive environment. Students are actively encouraged to make appropriate choices.
Students are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights, responsibilities and personal freedoms and receive advice about how to exercise these safely. Whether through choice of learning challenge or through participation in extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, students are given the freedom to make choices.
MUTUAL RESPECT
Respect is one of the core values of our school ethos and is modelled by students and staff alike. The school promotes respect for others and this is reiterated through our classroom and learning environments.
Behaviour Policies promote good behaviour and challenge poor behaviour so that all students respect others and give them the opportunity to succeed. We take seriously our duty to prevent victimisation of any individual and we carefully analyse any incidents where racist, homophobic or sexist actions could affect others.
TOLERANCE OF OTHER FAITHS AND BELIEFS
At Highworth Warneford School we endeavour to ensure that we are enhancing students’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society by offering them many and varied opportunities for them to experience this first hand. There are many visits, trips and opportunities for students to learn all about other faiths, creeds and cultures not just in this country but around the world. This is backed by an extensive RE curriculum, assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based examples.
In summary, we aim to prepare our students for life in the complexities of modern Britain. We want our students to become good employees, caring partners and parents, active citizens and engaged friends and we work hard in school to ensure that these core values are promoted for all. The school’s promotion of these core values ensures a steady progression of attitudes and qualities.
If you require further information explaining how each department demonstrates British Values, please view the subject pages on our website Subjects page